


Tattooed Flowers

by megapotterlover



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Graves is a tough shell to crack, M/M, Slow Burn, i'll probably add warnings and tags as i go, newt has a bunch of animals in his apartment, not all of them are legal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-03-18 00:42:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13670694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megapotterlover/pseuds/megapotterlover
Summary: Newt's flower shop has always been a quiet place. The neighborhood is full of friendly store owners who, like him, live above their respective shops. He takes care of his many pets, and keeps up a simple friendship with the owner of the bakery down the street. He didn't notice when the tattoo parlor next door had changed hands until he has a run-in with the new owner, a stoic man who doesn't seem the type to let other people in his business.But getting in other people's business is Newt's specialty. What starts off as accidentally eavesdropping turns into him trying to find anything he can about the man. Why a strange woman is constantly looking for his new neighbor, why men Newt has never seen before are taking advantage of the late hours of the tattoo parlor.Maybe he should stay out of it, but that's not quite his nature.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know his name is Percival Graves, not Percival Jones. Just bear with me for now, and you'll see

The golden retriever stationed by the door of Newt’s office lifted his head from where he had been lazing only moments before, the quiet thump of his tail the only sound in the small flower shop. The sudden lack of noise and the sudden motion caused Newt to look up from the order form he was putting the finishing touches on, wondering what had gotten Frank’s attention so suddenly. Usually, the bustle of business didn’t bother him, and he avoided most of the customers that did come in. The only exception was Jacob, the owner of a small bakery and a regular that Frank knew and loved. In partial answer to his question, the bell above his door jingled, signaling a new customer. Newt supposed he would find out what about this customer set the dog on edge.

He walked out of the office with a reassuring stroke to his scarred muzzle, and spotted the customer in question. The customer that was holding Newt’s cat in his heavily tattooed arms.

Newt wished he could say he was surprised that the cat had gotten out, but he wasn’t. “I believe this is yours,” the man said in a deep voice, though the seriousness of it was somewhat undermined by the loud purrs coming from Niffler.

It snapped Newt out of his staring, and he stepped forward to take the cat from him. “Yes, he is,” he said. He made fleeting eye contact with the man, feeling slightly ashamed under his disapproving gaze. “If he stole anything of yours, I will gladly replace it. He has a penchant for stealing anything that shines.”

The man raised an eyebrow at that, brushing the flecks of cat hair off of his black vest. “He didn’t steal anything that I noticed, but this is the third time this week he’s come into my shop and I’ve had to chase him out. I decided to figure out where he’s coming from, and his tags led me here.” His words were level, but left Newt with no doubt that he wasn’t happy with the situation

“Sorry about that. He slips out when customers come in, and I don’t always catch him.” Newt offered a weak smile. He was a bit put off by how… flat the man was, not showing much emotion beyond being annoyed. “Which - um, which shop is yours? If he goes missing, I could try and retrieve him before he bothers you too much.” He was partially asking for his own curiosity. He knew most of the other shop owners on the street, but he couldn’t even recall seeing this man in passing.

The man gave Newt a long look, and sighed. “The tattoo parlor next door. I just opened up last week. Having a cat in there isn’t sterile and I can’t see it being good for my business. So if you would, please try to keep your cat out of there in the first place, Mister…” He looked at him expectantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Newt blinked in surprise at the man’s straightforwardness, and it was a moment before he realized he should respond. “Scamander. Newt Scamander,” he replied. Looking at the other, it was surprising to think that this man ran a tattoo shop. Yes, he had tattoos, but he was much more pristine than the last owner, wearing a three-piece suit (minus the jacket), and with his hair close cropped at the sides of his head, slicked back neatly at the top where it grew longer. “And you are?”

There was a stretch of silence where Newt thought he wouldn’t get an answer, but the man spoke up after a moment. “Percival Jones,” he said, . “Keep your cat out of my shop.” Without another word, he turned on his heel and left the shop with only the ring of the bell to mark his exit.

“Well, that was rather rude.” Newt spoke to the empty shop, before looking down at the cat in his arms. “And you, you little bugger, are lucky that I don’t lock you in my office all day. I should put a tracker on you.” He was met with a challenging stare from sharp yellow eyes, and he sighed at the impossible creature

He set Niffler down, shooing him off towards the back of the shop. With one last glance at the door, as if worried that Jones would come back, he picked up a watering can and made himself busy.

~

The next morning, with a new sign on the door telling those entering to please mind the cat (underneath the previous one warning people with allergies), Newt got to work as per usual. His back was to the door as he arranged flowers in vases, made sure the pots were aligned and the soil was damp enough to keep the plants alive, and carefully plucked the dead leaves without harming the rest of the plant. 

The bell jingled, and the excited bark from Frank was all he needed to confirm who it was. “Morning, Jacob,” he called over his shoulder. 

“Good morning!” Jacob sauntered into the shop, offering a homemade treat to Frank as he came up with his tail wagging. The dog ate it happily, letting Jacob give him a few good pets before trotting back to his spot behind the desk. “Brought you some paczki, since I know you didn’t eat breakfast.” 

Newt rolled his eyes, stepping back from the flower arrangements to face his friend. “You don’t always have to bring me food,” he pointed out, even though he knew that wouldn’t stop him. 

“Well, it’s not like I have anything better to do when the morning rush’s done with. And how else will I know if the dogs will like it when I change the recipe on the treats? He’s got the best palate for miles.”

Newt couldn’t help his smile - Jacob had been his friend since before he had his bakery. He was one of the few who didn’t mind coming into his apartment despite all of the animals he had there. More often than not, when he did come around, he would help Newt take care of them. They all loved Jacob; it was a good part of the reason that Newt liked him. His animals didn’t always take kindly to strangers, which made the fact that they liked him a good reason to trust the man.

He stepped over to the desk to stand near Jacob, who pulled out another bag from his jacket, this one undoubtedly filled with treats for the other dogs that stayed upstairs. “How do you always know when I’m about to run out?” he asked incredulously, and went behind the desk to pull out several arrangements.

Jacob never asked for them, but Newt never asked for him to bring the treats either. He liked to go in his bakery and see them lined up on the cases, or in the front windows surrounded by various confections. They brightened up the bakery a bit (not that the bustling place wasn’t bright already).

When Jacob’s mouth opened, Newt cut him off before he could speak. “Don’t even think about asking me how much you owe.” 

“Can you blame a guy for tryin’?”

“If you won’t let me pay you for the treats, you can’t pay me for the flowers.”

They had this exchange at least three times a week, and neither one of them gave any ground on the subject. Not that it really mattered, considering they both did rather well in their own fields.

As Jacob attempted to gather the arrangements without squishing them, a thought popped into Newt’s head. “Do you know anything about the man who just took over the tattoo parlor? Percival Jones, I think his name was?”

Jacob shook his head, looking over his shoulder at Newt. “I actually stopped by his shop the other day, ya know, to welcome him to the neighborhood. I didn’t see him in there. Why, you meet him or somethin’?”

Newt cleared his throat. “Well, Niffler has apparently been sneaking into his shop and he stopped by to tell me to keep him away. He was rather rude about it, to be quite honest. I was partially wondering if that was a usual thing for him, or if I’m just lucky enough to have gotten on his bad side right away.”

That elicited a snort from Jacob, and he shook his head. “If it was Niffler that got in, you’re probably lucky you didn’t get into a fight with the guy.” He began making his way towards the door, glancing back. “I’ll try and stop by after dinner, but I gotta get back to work.”

Newt waved goodbye, deciding now was as good a time as any to get back to his work. He glanced towards the wall that separated his shop and that of Mr. Jones as if he could see what was going on in the parlor. He was curious about this new neighbor, who was much different from the other shop owners on the street - most of them were friendly with each other, not even coming close to the behavior of that man. 

He didn’t dwell on it for long, instead focusing on the flow of customers that began once the day moved on - wedding parties, women organizing baby showers, more than a few asking, “What’s the best thing to get when you said something stupid?” 

~

By the end of the day, he was glad to go up to his apartment, with Niffler in his arms and Frank at his heels. The door opened and he was greeted with an excited bark from Ellie, his sheepdog. Niffler took off from his arms almost immediately to go to his cat condo, where he had a mix of shiny items that he somehow found it comfortable to sleep on

Newt let Frank in and gave Ellie a treat from his pocket, pausing to grab her leash. She had gone on a walk with him and Frank during lunch, before he took the other dogs on a separate walk, but she was the one that was most restless of them all. According to the shelter he got her from, she had been stuck in a cage and used for breeding. Now that she had a taste of freedom, she couldn’t get enough of it.

Once he had the leash on her, he led her out the door of the apartment and down the stairs. The door at the back of his shop led out out to the alley, which led to the street so he could walk the other dogs without having to take them through the shop.

As he pushed it open, a streak of black shot out in front of him and Ellie, and his eyes widened. “Niff!” he shouted, but the cat had already disappeared around the corner of the building. “Oh, now he’s done it. Come on, Ellie. Sorry, but I’ll walk you later.”

It was only a minute before he had her back up in his flat, which he had accidentally left with the door wide open, and was rushing out to the street to find the mischievous cat. Niffler had been smart enough to wait until he opened the door to get in his line of sight, and by then it was too late for Newt to do anything. 

Now, he was nowhere in sight, but Newt had a feeling he knew where he might be. With a slight sinking feeling, he made his way past the dark windows of his own storefront, and to the one nextdoor with neon lights still declaring they were open. Time to return the visit to his neighbor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As he got closer, the voices became clear, and he heard Jones speaking sharply. “- has been made clear, so I hope you have a good reason for coming here. You’re putting a lot at risk right now.”
> 
> An unfamiliar female voice responded, “I’m well aware, sir, but I told you, there’s something going on. I may have been demoted, but I’m not stupid -”
> 
> “Miss Goldstein, I don’t think you’re stupid, but I don’t think this is the time or the place. You need to leave and not return here without reason. Find some other place to tell me, just not here.”
> 
> Newt’s brows raised on hearing that, and once again thought about how he should leave. He took a step back, only to stop once again when the woman pleaded, “Mr. Graves, you have to listen to me!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said in the comments I would wait a week... but I had the chapter done and honestly just seeing that I got kudos made me happy enough to post this already. After this, I'm going to stick to posting once a week on Tuesdays, but enjoy the early update!  
> Also, feel free to hit me up on tumblr @areyounotmatched !

Newt pushed open the door of the tattoo parlor slowly, poking his head in to try to see if he could spot Niffler or Mr. Jones anywhere. He hoped he wouldn’t see the latter, and that this would be a quick in and out that he would never even mention to anyone. He straightened up and walked in, trying to seem casual. Jones wasn’t even in there. It would be fine.

At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.

As he made his way through the shop, looking for telltale signs that his cat had come through, he listened to make sure he wouldn’t be caught just suspiciously walking through the empty parlor. He heard some scratching noises a bit further back, and practically leapt towards them with relief. Any worry of Jones finding him faded into the background, and he founded Niffler sitting on the chair that was no doubt reserved for people getting tattoos. Lovely.

He saw Newt, and tried to bolt, but Newt managed to scoop him up before he could get away. His mouth opened to scold Niffler, but before he could, he heard voices coming from the back. It seemed to be an argument, and he knew he should leave, but he found himself stepping towards the voices.

As he got closer, the voices became clear, and he heard Jones speaking sharply. “- has been made clear, so I hope you have a good reason for coming here. You’re putting a lot at risk right now.”

An unfamiliar female voice responded, “I’m well aware, sir, but I told you, there’s something going on. I may have been demoted, but I’m not stupid -”

“Miss Goldstein, I don’t think you’re stupid, but I don’t think this is the time or the place. You need to leave and not return here without reason. Find some other place to tell me, just not here.”

Newt’s brows raised on hearing that, and once again thought about how he should leave. He took a step back, only to stop once again when the woman pleaded, “Mr. Graves, you have to listen to me!” _Graves?_ He wondered what was really going on, a frown crossing his lips.

“ _Not here,_ Tina. I will find you, now go.” Before Newt could move for the door, he heard footsteps coming from the back room. He felt suddenly very guilty, and in an attempt to seem a little less so, he released his grip on Niffler. He’d much rather get in trouble for his cat being loose in the shop than having heard something he probably shouldn’t have.

He took advantage of the sudden freedom and bolted away. Newt followed after him, figuring it would probably seem as though he just got here if he was chasing him. A moment later, out of the corner of his eye, he saw motion in the doorway leading from the back room. He straightened up quickly, hoping the guilty look would be attributed to the cat now making its way back to the man.

When he turned to face them, he saw the woman that must have been speaking. She was smartly dressed in a pantsuit with dusky blue overcoat, and she quickly schooled her face into a blank look on seeing him. But Newt still saw the glance to Jones - or rather, Graves - with a flash of worry.

Graves’ face tightened into a scowl, but before he could say anything, Newt spoke. “I know you said to keep my cat out of your shop, and I apologize. He got loose. I’ll be out of your hair in a minute. I don’t think he touched anything.” He didn’t give any indication that he had heard their argument, but Graves still scowled.

“Mr. Scamander, you really need to get better control of your animal,” was all he said in return as Newt stepped up to snatch Niffler.

“No offense, but I really don’t think I can.” It came out before Newt thought about it, but he didn’t back down from his claim. “He’s a pest, but I don’t think anything I could do to stop his behavior would be proper treatment.”

Graves raised an eyebrow, and Newt took a step back. “I’ll be going now,” he said, and turned to go for the door. His heart felt like it would pound out of his chest as he listened for one of them to follow. Only once he was out the door did he let himself relax. He forced himself not to look over his shoulder when the door opened again, reminding himself that that woman had to leave, too. He turned down the alley to his door, clutching Niffler to his chest to ensure he didn’t run off again.

He was thankful that he saw Jacob waiting on the landing at the top of the stairs, hoping his presence might distract him from thinking too hard about what he had just overheard.

“There you are!” Jacob called, smiling down the stairs at him. “I was startin’ to think that maybe the birds had eaten you. They’re being pretty loud in there.”

Sure enough, when Newt got to the top of the steps, he could hear loud, hungry chirps coming from the other side of the door. “I had to chase Niff down. He got into the tattoo parlor again, and I forgot to feed them before I left.” He unlocked the door and let Jacob in, waiting until the door was firmly shut to set Niffler on the ground. He stalked off to the kitchen, and Newt stood up to face Jacob.

“Did you run into that Jones guy again?” Jacob asked curiously. He looked down suddenly,and his face broke into a grin. “Dougal! I was wondering when you were gonna come out and say hi.” A Capuchin monkey was at his feet, gripping his pant leg, and even as Jacob spoke, he bent down to offer his arm to the creature.

Dougal wasted no time in climbing up, settling in to sit comfortably in the crook of Jacob’s arm. Jacob was his favorite, and the only person besides Newt himself that he would come down off his perch for. The perch overlooked the cage that took up a good portion of the wall, containing six parakeets that Dougal spent his time watching over.

While Jacob spoke to Dougal, he strode over and filled the food trays for the parakeets. “You can quiet down now,” he told them, sliding them back into the cage. “You’d think you never eat.” Jacob watched apprehensively - he was still wary of the birds after one had bitten him his first time in the apartment.

“So, what happened over at the tattoo parlor?” Jacob finally asked, slipping Dougal a treat. “Did he catch you or somethin’?”

“Um, well, yes,” Newt said. “I walked in on some conversation. I’m still not really sure what I heard, but it was interesting to say the least.”

“What were they saying? Was it somebody that got a tattoo they didn’t want?”

“I don’t think so, no. Like I said, I don’t know what was going on.” He considered telling him what had been said, but he decided the less people who knew the better. “But, it’s none of my business. So I won’t bother -” he cut off when Jacob snorted, turning to give him a confused look. “What was that for?”

“You, tryin’ to say you won’t go in somebody else’s business,” Jacob replied, walking over and helping Dougal back up to the perch. “Half these animals in here are here because you didn’t mind your own business.” Newt opened his mouth to protest, but Jacob spoke again before he could. “I’m not sayin’ it’s a bad thing, I know they were all in trouble. But I just don’t believe ya.”

Newt couldn’t argue with that, instead began tending to the rest of his animals, asking Jacob if he’d like to join him for his walks with the dogs, since they had been cut off by his wild chase.

~

Almost a week went by without much incident, now that Newt was more careful with how he let Niffler loose. He hated doing it, but he left Niffler in his office during the busiest parts of the day so he didn’t have to worry about him slipping out while he was with customers. He didn’t see Mr. Graves or Jones or whoever he was, save for occasionally spotting him through the window of his apartment. There were only two windows in his apartment open to the alley between their stores, and two in the other man’s as well. Due to the nature of his shop, Graves was out much later than Newt, and Newt rarely saw him before he went to bed at night. Despite this, the man was usually awake when Newt got up in the mornings, and moving around the apartment across the way.

It was Tuesday, five days after he had overheard the conversation in the back of the parlor, when he saw something wrong. It was almost three A.M., and Newt was awake to care for one of the dogs that he was fostering - one of two puppies that had come down with a fever. His mother hadn’t appreciated it, but he kept the little one separated so his sister wouldn’t fall ill as well. Even as he took care of him, the father kept a close eye on him. It was only a cold, he hoped, so he kept awake to monitor the pup and feed him when the need arose. He was in the kitchen doing just that when a light flicking on caught his eye.

When he looked at the source, Mr. Graves’ kitchen, what he saw shocked him. Mr. Graves, who seemed to take pride in keeping an uptight and clean appearance, was in almost the opposite state. His clothes were rumpled, but beyond that, they were covered in what looked like a splatter of blood: bright red in some places and brown where it was beginning to dry. His usual black vest was gone, and the stain only showed that much more on his white button down.

Newt only took a moment to decide what he was going to do. He moved out of the kitchen, slowly so as not to attract the attention of the other man. He was still dressed from the day before, so he only had to put the puppy in the nest of blankets he’d made in his bedroom. “I will be right back, Charles,” he told him reassuringly, and Charles easily curled up and closed his eyes.

It only was a moment before he had his feet stuffed in his shoes, and he made a quick check around the apartment to make sure that everybody was asleep and taken care of. Once he was sure that Niffler wouldn’t be bolting out when he left, he slipped out the door. He didn’t dare going back to the kitchen out of fear that Graves would see him, and he’d be caught in a lie.

He went down to the alley, this time going around the back to get to the door he knew led to the upstairs apartment. He hadn’t gone there often with the last owner, but if he needed something in a pinch, it was where he would go. Which was what he intended to make this look like.

He stepped up to the door at the back of the building, pressing the buzzer once and hoping that Graves would answer. It took a minute, but he heard steps coming down the stairs and the door opened to reveal a very annoyed Graves - minus the bloody outfit Newt had seen him in only minutes before. Instead, he was dressed in pajama bottoms and a plain gray t-shirt.

After a moment to recover, he met his neighbor’s gaze, floundering for a moment as he tried to remember what his excuse was. Graves raised an eyebrow, his hand resting on the doorknob. “I hope you have a good reason for showing up here at three o’clock in the morning, Mr. Scamander. You aren’t looking for your cat again, are you?”

“N-no. No. I am sorry for intruding Mr. G-Jones, but I need a favor,” Newt began, and remembered what he was going to say. “One of the puppies that I’m fostering, he has a cold and he’s having some difficulty sleeping because of it. I was wondering if you perhaps had a humidifier that I could borrow? It will ease his breathing so he can sleep. I saw your light was on, so I didn’t think I’d be bothering you.”

Maybe he imagined it, but Graves’ expression softened a bit, and he sighed. “Come inside, and I’ll grab it for you.” He stepped out of the way for Newt to come in, and shut the door behind them to lead Newt up the stairs. Newt forced himself to relax, even as his head ducked when Mr. Graves passed him to go.

Once in the apartment, Graves left him in the kitchen, and went to what Newt assumed was the bathroom. He tried to spot any sign of blood on the clean surfaces, but there were none. He jumped a bit when Graves spoke in the other room. “Just how many animals do you have in that apartment?”

Newt rocked back on his heels. “Ah, well, the number fluctuates. I do a lot of fostering, but there are a few that stay no matter what. Right now, I’ve got some birds, cats, dogs, snakes, a mo- bunch of animals.” He had to cut himself off, thinking Graves might not be appreciative of the fact that he had an illegal monkey in his apartment. He gave a slight smile when he came back in, accepting the humidifier. “I take it you don’t have any pets yourself?”

“Don’t have the time,” Graves replied, moving for the door again. His eyes suddenly shifted to Newt’s shoulder. “Are you aware that a lizard is climbing on you?”

“Huh?” His gaze moved to follow Graves’. “Oh. Gecko, actually. That’s Pickett. He likes to sleep in my pocket. He’s not a fan of heating lamps when he can just get the heat from me. This little guy,” he continued as he adjusted his grip on the humidifier to scoop him up in his hand, “is almost always on my person, except when I’m sleeping.”

Graves only shook his head, pulling the door open for him. “Goodnight, Mr. Scamander. I hope that helps.”

“Goodnight. And thank you very much, I’ll be sure to return this in a few days.” He left without a glance back, wondering if he had imagined seeing the blood on Graves’ clothes.

Back in his apartment, as he filled the humidifier (might as well use it if he has it), he glanced to the still lit kitchen across the alley. All he saw was Mr. Graves stuffing what looked like a stack of clothing in his trash.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The woman he had seen in the tattoo parlor the other day was standing in the shop, looking perhaps a bit more frazzled than she had been before. Her short brown hair was all over the place, and her outfit was distinctly ruffled. Despite that, she straightened up, and held herself very stiffly. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I was actually wondering if you knew where the man who runs the tattoo parlor is. His shop is empty.”
> 
> Newt shook his head, some of his unruly red hair flopping in his face. “I haven’t seen him since this morning, sorry.”
> 
> The woman cursed under her breath, and seemed to have an internal debate with herself before reaching in her pocket. “Could you do me a favor and give this to him?” She pulled an unmarked envelope from her pocket, holding it out to him. “I need you to make sure it goes directly to him, don’t just set it down somewhere.” She gave him a smile that barely lasted a second before she was on her way out of the shop, meeting a woman with blonde hair and a pink coat before hurrying off.

The next day Newt was understandably tired - between worrying about Charles and trying to sneak glances into the then-dark apartment, he hadn’t slept much. That was why he was kind of lax on his daily chores that day, not being as diligent with cleaning up the plants as he usually was. He had even considered leaving Niffler in the apartment so he wouldn’t have to worry about chasing him around. That plan was quickly shot down when he remembered coming back to find all of his drawers somehow pulled out and half his silverware hidden away in the cat condo. It had taken catnip snuck in Niffler’s food for Newt to get all of it back.

So now Niffler was sitting on the desk in front of Newt, while Newt tried not to fall asleep standing up. The bell ringing jerked him out of a doze, and he straightened up quickly. Frank sat up at his feet to stare at the newcomer, and Niffler jumped gracefully from the desk to go towards none other than Graves.

Newt blinked in surprise, stifling a yawn. “Oh, hello,” he said. “What brings you here? I don’t think any of my animals are missing right now.” 

The only one who would go missing was currently winding around Graves’ feet, anyway. He walked around the desk to better talk to him, considering if Graves tried to move closer, he would likely be tripped by Niffler.

“I just was wondering if that puppy was doing better,” he said, looking up to meet Newt’s eyes - or attempting to. Newt had a bad habit of looking over people’s shoulders, but that tends to happen when animals are your main company. “I have a few minutes to kill before I open.”

“Charles is doing wonderfully, actually. Your humidifier really helped him sleep. He was well enough to go back with his mum and sister this morning. I can return that this evening, if you’ll be home.”

Graves waved him off before tucking his hands in his pockets. “I plan on working late tonight. I’ll try to stop to pick it up when I have free time.”

Newt was surprised, to say the least, by Graves’ seeming change of heart towards him. Even in his half-asleep state, he felt a little suspicious of the behavior; Graves hadn’t exactly been forthcoming in the past week. While this wasn’t warm and fuzzy, it might as well have been for how Graves acted previously. It was only when Graves gave him a strange look that he realized he was being silent. “Oh, um, of course. Yes, that works for me. I tend to stay in most nights, unless I’m walking my dogs.” He smiled, but Graves didn’t return it. 

Instead, he gave a look around the shop, and carefully stepped away from Niffler. “Well, I should get back over to my own shop. Glad to hear he’s doing better.”

And he was out the door, nudging Niffler back gently with his foot when he tried to follow him out. Newt tried not to stare, but he couldn’t help his immense confusion. Finally, he looked to Frank. 

Frank was still staring out the door after Graves. He wasn’t agitated, and he didn’t seem to be scared of the man, but he had moved closer to Newt. It was only when Graves had been gone for several minutes that he moved back to the pool of sunlight he frequented for naps.

~

Later that day, Newt was preparing to close. Niffler was curled in an empty pot and Frank was back in the office while he covered the plants and arranged them to fill the spots that had been emptied. He was in the office, putting in the last of the orders and preparing to shut down his laptop when he heard the bell ding. It wasn’t unusual to have customers come in right before close, so he finished what he was doing and headed out to the main floor of the shop. 

“Hello there, what can I do for you?” he asked the woman, before realizing who it was.

The woman he had seen in the tattoo parlor the other day was standing in the shop, looking perhaps a bit more frazzled than she had been before. Her short brown hair was all over the place, and her outfit was distinctly ruffled. Despite that, she straightened up, and held herself very stiffly. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I was actually wondering if you knew where the man who runs the tattoo parlor is. His shop is empty.”

Newt shook his head, some of his unruly red hair flopping in his face. “I haven’t seen him since this morning, sorry.”

The woman cursed under her breath, and seemed to have an internal debate with herself before reaching in her pocket. “Could you do me a favor and give this to him?” She pulled an unmarked envelope from her pocket, holding it out to him. “I need you to make sure it goes directly to him, don’t just set it down somewhere.” Newt was sure his confusion showed as he reached out to take it, because she added, “It’s some test results. Private.” 

Newt cleared his throat awkwardly. “Oh. Well, I’ll be sure to be discreet,” he said awkwardly, and the woman’s cheeks reddened.

“No, it’s not - you know what, never mind. Thanks so much.” She gave him a smile that barely lasted a second before she was on her way out of the shop, meeting a woman with blonde hair and a pink coat before hurrying off.

Newt glanced at the envelope, tucking it into his pocket so he could finish closing the store.

~

He had almost forgotten about the note until he was on the way back from walking Ellie and passed the tattoo parlor. He remembered it, still sitting in his pocket, and moved to tie Ellie’s leash to the tree just outside. “I’ll be right back,” he told her, scratching under her chin and laughing when she tried to give him kisses. 

He made sure her leash was secure before he walked to the front door, pushing it open. He didn’t try to sneak in this time; it wasn’t like he was trying to do something he wasn’t. He heard voices, but didn’t see Graves anywhere around.

He moved to the back of the store, and heard Graves speak. “Don’t worry, I took care of it. You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

Newt’s eyes widened, and he decided this time, he didn’t want to hear more. Not after what he had seen last night. “Hello?” he called, making his presence known. 

What was said next was too quiet for Newt to catch, or even tell if it was Graves speaking. Graves appeared in the door, his face set in a look of calm annoyance. “Mr. Scamander, you certainly seem to be coming around a lot,” he said, almost sounding resigned.

“This time I was sent,” Newt argued. He pulled the letter out of his pocket, holding it out. “That woman who was here the other day asked that I give this to you. Said something about…” He cleared his throat, and he was sure the tips of his ears were turning pink. “Said they were test results.”

If Graves was embarrassed, he didn’t show it. He seemed more likely to roll his eyes than to show embarrassment, and he extended his hand to take it. “Thank you for bringing it over.”

Newt nodded, unable to help one last glance towards the back of the shop. “I’m sure I’ll see you soon. Come by whenever to pick up your humidifier.”

A stiff nod from Graves, and he returned to the office, making a point of shutting the door. But before it shut, Newt heard an accented voice ask, “Is he going to be a problem?”

He didn’t stick around to even try to hear the answer.

~

Newt spent the next few hours trying to forget about what he had heard. Charles was feeling well enough to try and rile up his sister, Daisy, who was more than eager to play with him after being kept away all night. 

The sounds of puppies playing, mixed with the various other sounds of the apartment, might have been distracting to somebody else. Even in his study he could hear the filter on the fish tank, the birds chirping loudly at each other, and to his amusement, the snores that he recognized as Ellie’s. But it didn’t deter him from his book keeping. It was as good as silent to him, as long as he didn’t hear anything he wasn’t supposed to.

He did almost miss the doorbell, and probably would have if the puppies hadn’t stopped wrestling each other to look around. That prompted him to head to the door, pausing only to check that Niffler wasn’t paying attention to what he was doing. 

He went out and down the stairs to the outside door, not bothering to look to see who it was before he pulled it open. He blinked in surprise when he saw Graves standing there, but it was only a moment before he realized why. “Oh! You’re here to get your humidifier back. Would you like to come upstairs, or wait here while I grab it?” he asked, already taking a step back from the door.

“I don’t mind coming up,” he replied. He pulled his hands from the pockets of his coat as he spoke. “I hope it’s not a bad time. I was on my way back from getting dinner, and I thought I might as well come before I forget.”

“Of course not. I was just doing some paperwork.” He began up the stairs, leaving the door open for Graves to follow. He heard the door click shut and footsteps behind him, and didn’t hesitate to open the door to his apartment.

He was glad to see that Dougal had made himself scarce, like he always did. Whenever somebody was with Newt, he tended to hide until he saw it was somebody he knew. There was still the matter of the one snake that he shouldn’t have, but most didn’t recognize that it was a pit viper unless they knew what to look for.

He turned around to see Graves taking in the room. There wasn’t much by way of actual furniture - most of the space was taken up by tanks and cages, and the floor space that was free was filled with dog beds or the dogs themselves. “For the record, only two of the dogs are permanent,” he said with a sheepish smile.

“It wasn’t really the dogs that I was looking at, Mr. Scamander,” Graves told him after a moment of silence, and Newt started towards the bathroom. 

“Call me Newt,” he said over his shoulder. “I really prefer that to Mr. Scamander.”

“Newt, then,” Graves repeated, sounding somewhat amused. Newt returned with the humidifier, offering it to the other man. “Thank you. I’m glad I could help with the little guy.” He took it off of Newt’s hands, and made his way back to the door. Something, though, made him stop in his tracks. “There was one more thing.” He turned to look at Newt, any amusement now gone from his expression, replaced with a serious gaze. Frank sat up suddenly in his bed to watch the two of them. “You should really be more careful where you’re poking around. Somebody might get a little sick of it.”

Even as heat flooded Newt’s face, the thinly-veiled threat wasn’t lost on him. Before he could respond, the door was shutting behind Graves and he was left alone in the apartment. He sighed and ran a hand over his face, turning back in time to catch Dougal climbing back on his perch. Frank settled back in his bed, and Newt decided it was just best to get back to his paperwork.

~

“So lemme get this straight,” Jacob began. “You got in this Jones guy’s business when you said you wouldn’t, and now you’re all shocked that he’s getting upset about it.” He flipped the sign on his bakery from open to closed, and looked at Newt where he stood by the counter.

Newt still hadn’t told him all the details, like about how hearing the woman call him Graves or the real reason that he was asking for a humidifier of all things in the middle of the night

“Well… yes,” Newt said, and Jacob gave him a look that put him on the defensive. “The second time I went in his shop I wasn’t even listening! I was giving him something after I was explicitly asked to. It’s not my fault that he always seems to be doing something that seems  _ off _ .”

Jacob shook his head. He paused in collecting the unsold pastries, and shrugged. “I just don’t get why this bugs you so much. He’s not mistreating animals or trying to get illegal ones. This doesn’t seem like what you usually get wrapped up in.”

“It’s happening right next door! And last night, I saw four men go into his tattoo parlor, and he left with them almost an hour before the parlor actually closes. He’s the only artist working there.” He wasn’t trying to pry, not after he had basically been told to back off. He had simply looked out the window as he tried to finish his paperwork, and his study was above the front part of the shop. “The whole thing just rubs me the wrong way. Doesn’t this seem at all like a problem to you?”

“I think that you’ve seen a few too many things out of context and it’s messin’ with your head,” Jacob replied. “I don’t deny that this guy is actin’ more than a little sketchy, but you haven’t seen everything.”

Newt sighed, turning back to the case that was full of examples of Jacob’s work. “I know it sounds like I’m just stretching it with this man, but some things would be hard to understand even in context.”

“I don’t know what to tell you. But maybe it would be best if you tried a little harder to ignore what he’s doin’.”

Newt sighed. “I think I’ve already seen too much to properly ignore what I might see in the future.”

“Now do you see why I didn’t believe you when you said you’d stay out of it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright just to be clear on which animals are which because Frank, Pickett, Dougal, and Niffler are the only super obvious ones and I like people to kinda have an idea  
> Ellie the sheepdog is the erumpent. The family of foster dogs are the graphorns. The pit viper is the nundu.  
> Also, I know it's kinda slow at this point but I promise next chapter things pick up! I've already got a good portion done, so depending on if I get a start on the next one, you might get another early update.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The source of the raised voice was Graves himself, and he gestured between himself and the other man from the night before. Suddenly, his voice dropped, and his expression was one of cool anger as he finished whatever explanation he was giving.
> 
> Newt hadn’t caught anything, but the new man slowly nodded. His gaze moved from Graves to the other, and he seemed to deliberate, even as his face remained almost expressionless. He spoke after a moment, too quietly for Newt to catch. Graves listened intently as he spoke, and his jaw clenched as he nodded once, slow and deliberate. Once he had that affirmation, the new man continued what he was saying, pointing between the other two as he did.
> 
> A sudden chill went down his spine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys I am soooo sorry for such a late posting, so much shit has happened in the past few weeks. There's been mad drama with my roommates, I've been studying for midterms, and then when I actually had a break I was constantly doing shit for my parents. This chapter is a bit short, but I promise the next one will be up on time.  
> Also, something to actually note about the fic: I don't use the trashbag that is Johnny Depp for Grindelwald. My basis is Mads Mikkelsen, because that man is PERFECT for Grindy boy

Newt was beginning to think that his curiosity was refusing to let him sleep. He had been up late every single night for three days straight, even though he didn’t see anything like the strange group going into the parlor again. Even though Pickett was happy with the extra time he got to spend with Newt, Newt himself was frustrated with how much he cared about the business of a man that he barely knew. 

On the fourth night, he was trying to coax Pickett back into his habitat. Pickett was working very hard not to get back in the tank with the other two geckos already in there. “Come on, Pickett, you’ve got to go in. I need to go to bed.” The tank was plenty big for the three of them, but he still hated to go in there. 

Once Newt finally got him off of his hand and replaced the screen and lights on the top of the tank, he headed to the study to turn off the lights. As he did, he heard a noise outside, a raised voice. His mind flashing back to Graves’ warning, he hesitated, but only a moment before he moved to the window, slowly to avoid notice. 

Graves stood outside the parlor, with two other men. One he recognized from the other night, but the other was somebody Newt had never seen before, in Graves’ store or others.

Even from up in the apartment, Newt could tell the man had an aura of self-importance, simply from the way he held himself. He was older than Graves by some years, and was clearly in charge of the impromptu meeting on the street.

The source of the raised voice was Graves himself, and he gestured between himself and the other man from the night before. Suddenly, his voice dropped, and his expression was one of cool anger as he finished whatever explanation he was giving.

Newt hadn’t caught anything, but the new man slowly nodded. His gaze moved from Graves to the other, and he seemed to deliberate, even as his face remained almost expressionless. He spoke after a moment, too quietly for Newt to catch. Graves listened intently as he spoke, and his jaw clenched as he nodded once, slow and deliberate. Once he had that affirmation, the new man continued what he was saying, pointing between the other two as he did.

A sudden chill went down his spine, and he backed away from the window, trying to convince himself that it was just a simple disagreement, and that nothing suspicious was going on. The voices faded as he got farther away, and he forced himself to relax.  _ It was nothing _ , he told himself, the phrase repeating in his mind over and over.

But he couldn’t get past the man he had seen. There was something about him that really shook Newt to his core. The cold air around him, even just the way the other two regarded said that he was a man in a position of power. He stopped in the living room with his hands pushing the mop of red hair from his face.

Instead of going to his bed, he flopped down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Without even waiting for any cue, Frank climbed up to spread across him, with his head resting on Newt’s chest. Newt didn’t even lift his head to begin petting him.

Eventually, he managed to fall asleep there, Frank sleeping soundly on top of him.

~

The next morning, after waking up to the muffled sound of his alarm and going about his usual business for the day, he decided to try to find something out himself. It was a bit out of his way, but a trip he felt was necessary.

That led to him stepping out of a cab in a much less friendly part of town, but one he was just as well acquainted with. There was no hesitation in his step as he moved towards an alleyway, ducking in and heading down a set of stairs almost hidden by the piles of trash that never seemed to move. A few sharp raps, and a slot slid open to reveal a pair of eyes, that stared him down for a moment before the slot slammed shut again. Newt wasn’t discouraged, and waited patiently.

The heavy door opened a moment later, the man standing behind it remaining somewhat in the shadows as Newt passed. He pulled his blue coat closer as he stepped into the underground hangout, not needing to look around to see what was going on.

He did anyway, seeing some men in the corner playing cards, some closer to him sitting alone with their drinks. A fair share of the rest sat across from somebody, looking deep in the throes of making arrangements - for what, Newt didn’t want to know. He made his way to the back of the establishment, spotting the man he wanted to see.

“Gnarlack,” he said quietly, slipping into the seat across from him.

The shorter man took a puff of his cigar, watching Newt. “Mr. Scamander,” he said, mispronouncing his name in the way that he always did. “Haven’t seen you ’round here in a while. Looking for more animals to liberate?” Newt shook his head, and Gnarlack leaned back in his seat. “Shame. It’s always good for business. I know a couple of people who’d do anything to replace them.”

Newt had to ignore the disgust he felt. He always faced the same dilemma with his dealings with Gnarack; he didn’t know if he should leave the animals in homes where they were little more than trophies and stop more from being taken, or ‘liberate’ them, as Gnarlack put it, or leave them and let another animal be taken from its home. “I was wondering if you could give me information on somebody,” Newt said. He straightened up a little and his eyes flicked to Gnarlack before dropping back to the table. 

Gnarlack took a puff from the cigar that he held in his bent fingers, regarding Newt curiously. “Can’t give you information without a name.”

Newt lifted his gaze, and said, “Percival Graves. I need to know what you can tell me about him.”

Gnarlack’s eyes narrowed, and he stubbed out the cigar on the table between them, leaving a mark among many others. “You ask a lot of questions that you shouldn’t, Mr. Scamander,” he said, and Newt knew he wouldn’t be getting an answer today. Or any day, for that matter.

Newt’s mouth tightened into a straight line, and he stood up and walked away without another word. Too caught up in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice when he walked into somebody, and just as he opened his mouth to apologize, he recognized the pale blue overcoat and found himself staring at the still unnamed woman he had now run into three times.

She was looking at him with what was probably the same shock displayed on his own features. She recovered more quickly than he could, and opened her mouth to say something to him. Before she could, Newt ducked away and took up a quick pace to leave the building. 

A quick glance back showed her staring after him incredulously. She saw him looking and quickly straightened up before resuming her own path, straight to Gnarlack.

~

Once he got back to his block, the sun was beginning to set. He was frustrated that he hadn’t found anything out, but the bit of fear that had been easy to ignore was becoming larger in his mind. What was wrong with this man that not even Gnarlack would give information?

He noticed a man standing outside his shop, examining the front window, and walked a little faster towards him. “Excuse me, sir, can I help you with something? We’re closed, but if you need something, I’m sure can make an exception,” he called. 

The man turned towards him, and smiled coldly in his direction, freezing Newt in his tracks. It was the man that Newt had seen on the sidewalk, speaking to Graves. He was immaculately dressed, not a single blond hair out of place as he spoke to Newt. “No, I was just admiring your storefront,” he said, and Newt knew from his accent he was the man that had been speaking to Graves in his shop when Newt came in the other day to deliver the note. “Such beautiful arrangements. I’ll be on my way. Have a nice day, Mr. Scamander.”

He walked away before Newt could say anything, even ask how the man knew his name, and Newt watched him disappear around the corner. It was another minute beyond that before he was able to move his legs and fumble for his keys.

He went in the front door of his shop, sweeping his eyes as he looked for anything out of place. Everything was fine, the same as the way he left it, but he was still shaken to his core by the way the man had looked at him, like he knew something that Newt didn’t.

The words the man had spoken the other day came back to him, vividly as if he were speaking right next to him.   _“Is he going to be a problem?”_ Not for the first time, he wondered if he had gotten into more than he could handle.


End file.
